Sir Michael Caine shelved plans to retire because he still loves acting

Sir Michael Caine performed a U-turn on his plans to retire because he loves acting too much.

The 85-year-old icon previously claimed he wanted to retire at the age of 45, but Michael has been unable to walk away from the movie business as he still loves his job.

He shared: "What happened is I enjoy it so much that I just can't stop. Things go up and down and you do what comes along. You have to make a living.

"What I noticed looking back was there'd always be three or four flops and then just as it was all going in the toilet, there'd be a hit, a massive hit. So I feel very lucky."

Michael grew up in a working-class neighbourhood in South London and despite the crime that surrounded him during his childhood, he's always been a "gentle soul".

Looking back on his upbringing, Michael explained to the Guardian newspaper: "I was a gentle soul, but some of my friends went out and smashed people up.

"I only knew one murderer. I based my character in 'Get Carter' on him: the way he moved, everything. He'd killed four people, never been caught.

"After 'Get Carter' came out, he said: 'Biggest load of crap I've seen in my life.' I asked him why. He said: 'You're not f***ing married. We had responsibilities. That's why we did what we did. Why are you doing it? Where's your responsibilities?'

"Isn't that amazing? I didn't argue with him: I knew he'd killed four people."